Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to spherical bearings.
Description of the Related Art
Bearings, such as plain bearings, ball bearings, roller bearings, and needle bearings, are used in various devices to reduce friction between components of the device that rotate relative to each other, which reduces power consumption and wear of the device. There are two types of bearings, plain, and roller. Plain bearings rely on the properties of the materials used to form the bearing and lubricant film properties to reduce friction, while roller bearings rely on the configuration of the bearing rolling elements and races to reduce friction.
A roller bearing includes two rings and rolling elements positioned between the rings. Examples of rolling elements include hard metal balls in the case of ball bearings, and metal rollers in the case of roller bearings. Reduced friction is achieved by using rolling instead of sliding action. Any sliding still present is mitigated by using an appropriate lubricant and cage design.
Generally, the greater the number of rolling elements used, the greater the load capacity the roller bearing can handle. Alignment and separation of the rolling elements becomes more important as the number of rolling elements in a bearing increase. Thus, a cage is used to maintain roller element alignment and separation.
There is a continuing need for bearing designs that reduce friction and increase bearing load capacity.